Apparatus for cleaning window shades



March 21, 1933. w. M. THEOBALD APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WINDOW SHADES Filed Dec. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mal-ch21, 1933. I w THEOBALD 1,902,344

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WINDOW SHADES Filed Dec. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 9 2| INVENTOR 17 W/u mm M. THEOBHLD,

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES meant.

WILLIAM THEOBALD, OLE GLEVEL'AND,'OHIO V APPARATUS FOR CLEANING]wIiinowsHADns Application filed December 20, 1929. Seria1 No.415,596.

' This invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning window shades.

Heretofore, in the cleaning of window shades, it has been necessary after the clean- 5 ing operation to re-starch, re-tint, and iron the same. That is, during. the previous cleaning operation, the starched condition, as. well as the color, has been lost and also there has been experienced a wrinkling and a shrinking as well as arfraying of the shade.

The object of the present invention is to devise an apparatus for cleaning window shades which will obviate the necessity of later re-starching, re-tinting, and ironing the same and which will also prevent any shrinking or fraying of the shade. That is to -say, the present invention is contemplated to produce a more eflicient manner of cleaning the shade so as to reta'inthe starched and tinted condition of'th-e shade and at the same time, to present the shade in finished condition with a proper gloss upon the one side, and without the shrinking and fraying of the shade.

A further object is to devise such an ap- 'paratus which maybe employed at a considerably reduced cost and which at the same time will produce a much improved result,

compared with the old practice, as well as o a considerable saving in time.

Fig. .4 is *a'sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is :a viewtaken on 'sline .5530f Fig. :2.

The present device comprises a table upon which the shade is-cleaned and a drying de-f vice within which the shade is placed after the cleaning operation. The table may'zbe' of various suitable forms of construction and is indicated in a-general way byjreferen'ce numeral '-1,'while the drying apparatus .is indicated in a general way byreferencenumeral 2. The table is placed with respect to the drying apparatus so that the shade may be conveniently removed from the table and placed in the drying apparatus, as will be more fullyexplained.

According to the present invention, the shade or shades are first placed in wet con: dition upon a suitable sheet of rust-proof metal, as for instance, Monel metal, indicated by reference numeral 3, theshades beingf'indicatedby reference numeral 4-. The sheet of metal 3 rests upon the table which is provided along-itstwo'sides with troughsor drains 5 adapted to receive the cleaning fluid and to deliver the same into a common trough 6" at the end of the table from which it may be discharged through PATENT caries the pipe 7 Any suitable cleaning fluid may be'employedwith the use of brushes, the shades being first cleaned upon the one side and then upon the other. The metal plate 3 may be kept clean by flushing the same after the successive cleaning operations.

The table is provided with an openingexreadily move the metal plate with the shades.

thereupon from the table into the drying apparatus, as will more fully appear. It is to be understood that upon completion of the cleaning of the shades, they are smoothed out and retained in smoothed co'ndition upon the plate 3, after the excess cleaning fluid has been removed therefrom, preparatory to their introduction into the drying apparatus. plate 3 is glazed e., glossy or polished) so asto produce" the proper degree of gloss upon the surface of the shade which is The upper surface of the metal caused to adhere totheplate, and each plate is provided with a handle 3 to facilitate the 'moving ofthe sameinto and out of the drying apparatus. Ifso desired, the table may also be provided with the upwardly extending rears, 3 7 along each side thereof as a means of positioning the plate thereon .and

to facilitate the delivery of theplate from the table into the drying apparatus. The ears 3 are spaced so as notto interfere with the draining of the cleaning fluid into the troughs. Ifso desired, the middle support.

ing bars 3 of the table may be slightly higher than the side supporting bars 3 so as to cause the two sides of the plate 3 to slope downwardly and thereby to aidin the draining of the cleaning fluid from the plate into the troughs during the cleaning operation. The plate 3 is of a somewhat flexible nature which will permit the same to maintain such position during the cleaning operation and at the same time will lie perfectly flat while positioned within the drying apparatus so as to insure proper fiat condition -of the shade when removed therefrom.

The drying apparatus 2 comprises a suit-1 able means for supporting above the floor a number of horizontally disposed steam pipe sections arranged in spaced relation above each other. The steam therefor is supplied. from a common source, as indiproper flat condition during the. drying operation. The drying apparatus 2 may be closed at the top and bottom thereof, as indicated in the drawings, so as to conserve the heat, but it is provided with openings about the sides thereof, as indicated'at 13, to afford air circulation and. thereby prevent sweating of the shades.

As indicated in the drawings,"the level of the cleaning table 1 corresponds substantially with that of the lowermost space ofthe drying apparatus. As a means of moving the metal plates 3 from the cleaning table to the upper space in the drying apparatus, I have provided the transfer arms 14 fixed upon the rockably mounted shaft 15 which can be adjusted by means of the lever connections 16 arranged beneath the table 1. The hand lever17 is provided with a latch means 18 so thatit may be maintained in any position to-which itset for the purpose of inclining the transfer members 14 during the delivery of a plate3 to a given space of the drying apparatus 2.

Upon the adjustable rod '15, there are provlded also angle members 19 as a means of guiding the edges of the plate 3 during such.

transfer thereof to the drying apparatus. 1 Actual experience Wltlf the herein described device has shown that the time required for the drying of a shade is .pra'ctically ample for the cleaning of a succesferation in the same manner.

sive shade. Thus, while the one shade is being dried, another can be cleaned and placed in the drying apparatus, and the first shade can then be removed therefrom and readily stripped from its plate. Any number of spaces can be provided in the drying apparatusso as to accommodate any number of plates atone time One or more shades can be placed at one time upon each plate, according to the size. If so desired, a table may also be provided upon the opposite side of thedrying apparatus, for op- In such case, the drying apparatus would be provided with openings upon the two sides thereof so as to permit the insertion of -plates 3 thereinto from either table. 7 I

When shades are cleaned and dried in the manner herein set forth,there are-realized the advantages above mentioned; that is, they retain their original starch and color, the shade is in aperfectly smooth condition when removedfrom the plate, and there results a desirable gloss upon the side of the shade which has adhered to the plate during the drying operation, andthereis neither shrinking nor fraying of the shade during this manner of treatment. Thus, not only is the present improved method quicker than that heretofore practiced, but there is also realized'a considerable saving in timesince there is hereby obviatedthe necessity of re-conditioning-the shades after. the cleaning and drying. Also, the present improved apparatus is comparatively simple and does not require. exceptionally skilled-labor in its operation, and each part of the entire operation can berperformed without anyinterference with the other and without any discomfort to the operator.

Other advantages will be obvious to one who is skilled in the art to which the present invention relates. i

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is merely for purposes of illustration and can be modified without departing from the spirit ofth'e present invention. All such modifications are intended to be comprehended by the followingclaims.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus for cleaning window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, dryingmeans located adjacent said'support, and means for supporting the plate for sliding the 'same from the supporting means 'to the drying means. I x

2. Apparatus for cleaning window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, drying means lo.- cated adjacent said support, ,said drying means having spaces-for receiving the plates at different elevations, mean's for supporting the plateforslidingthe same from thesupporting. means to the drying means, and

means for varying the degree of inclination of said second mentioned supporting means.

3. Apparatus for cleaning window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, drying means located adjacent said support, said supporting means having a passage-way formed therein and extending in the direction of movement ofthe plate so as to permit the operator to follow the plate during removal of the same to thedrying means.

4:. Apparatus for cleaning Window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, drying means 'located adjacent. said support, said drying means having a Vertical tier of spaces for receiving individual plates, and means for facilitating removal of a plate to a selected space thereof. 7

5. Apparatus for cleaning window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, drying means located adjacent said support, said drying means having a plurality of vertically arranged individual ovens each adapted to receive a plate and heating means therefor, and means for supporting the plate for transferring the same from the supporting means thereto.

6. Apparatus for cleaning window shades including a polished metallic plate, means for supporting the same, drying means located adjacent said support, said drying means having a single heating means subdivided into a plurality of individual sections, means for supporting a plate above each of said sections, ventilating means therefor, and means for facilitating placing of the plates in and removing the same from the drying means.

In testimony whereof, I hereby affix my signature.

WILLIAM M. THEOBALD. 

